Welcome back to mystical, magical Jerusalem. Forget day trips! This time, we're here for four full days, baby! Over four days, I wandered Jerusalem with my camera, focusing on street photography, from the Old City’s quarters to the crowded aisles of Mahane Yehuda. We begin in the Old City. I returned to deliver photo prints to my new friend, Khamis , in the Muslim Quarter. Once that mission was complete, I was free to wander with my camera around the ancient walls and the bus

Paris. The streets smell like bread. The city simultaneously gives me a creative itch and scratches it. It is May 2024. A brisk breeze wraps around the streets, which are lined by lovely, fashionable architecture; shops that beckon with colorful macarons and a limitless variety of cheeses; and a burst of movement, liveliness, chic fashion, and creativity. This was my "revenge" trip, a return to Paris seven years after my original trip there. In 2017, I'd come to run a 10k and

From Georgetown’s colorful mansions and street art to the misty tea fields of the Cameron Highlands, the wild trails of Taman Negara, and the bright lights of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia offers an unforgettable journey. Join me as I share stories, photos, and adventures from each stop!

To understand the magnitude of this story of fate/coincidence, you may want to read up on my philosophy of The River of Life. Before I left Korea for my grand backpacking journey, I had a farewell lunch with my Spanish-teacher-turned-best-friend, Lorena. She passed me a book, Siddhartha, with a handwritten note inscribed in the cover. The book is about The River, she promised, and she hoped it would accompany me well on my upcoming journey. The memory of my five-month backpa

One night in Bangkok, and I was three hours into perching on a piano bench in a living room that had been turned into a board game club, surrounded by a lively family trio: mom, dad, and teenage son. "In Thailand, we say we love four things: our food, funny, competition, and gambling," the dad declared with a grin. "I love competition -- any chance to beat my son." I hadn't expected to stumble into this unique board game haven. My original mission had been to find a piano. I'

We're about to visit the most popular and touristy street in Bangkok to see what this water festival is all about, but don't worry: I got soaked so you could stay dry! Songkran is a celebration of the Thai New Year with roots in Buddhism, and over the years, it's evolved into a huge water fight on the streets! No one is safe. Water gun nozzles are aimed outside open bus windows. People spray hoses at passersby on the streets (pedestrian or vehicle -- it doesn't matter). Famil

When is the last time you felt uncomfortable, and how did you react to it? You probably look at travel photos and videos on Instagram and such and read incredible stories about people's travels. You think to yourself, "I wish I could do that!" and perhaps don't even consider anything besides the luxury of it, or the beauty, or the nature, or the freedom that comes with a vacation abroad. But that's half the story that goes on. Travel takes many different skills (planning, pro

Looking for Part 1? The month of March was actually three months long. Or, at least, that's how it feels. But time is just a construct, so shh!! Where do I even begin to share all my experiences and the things I've learned in just this month of traveling? You probably wouldn't even believe me if I told you how much I've grown in even just a week's time. I'm on this River , this journey of life and travel. I've been in the water for a long time, and I've become more fluid and

Thailand: The Land of Smiles, where the people are as warm as the temperature, even in the winter. The best way for me to paint a picture of this wonderful country that's won over my heart is by telling you some stories. The journey begins in the north, in Chiang Mai, one of the ancient capitals of Thailand. It's a place that's rumored to have more temples than 7-Elevens, where the Old City feels like a living, breathing temple that honors life, the streets pulsating with peo

Exactly two weeks ago, I embarked on a five-month backpacking journey, just me and a big ol’ backpack. My adventures began in Ningbo, China, an old port city just south of Shanghai, where my good friends, Jared and Beanke, live. Friends Like These I’d be remiss to not give a shout-out to these lovely humans. I met both of them in Korea. Jared worked at my hagwon, and he became a sort of guiding spirit for me after he observed an online class I taught. He told me that I’m a gr

I am currently homeless and unemployed, and it all feels right. I've noticed a pattern, or more of a flow, in my recent life. Things will be moving smoothly, and then, an opportunity to change course will present itself. If I resist the change, reject the opportunity, it's almost like swimming upstream, and life becomes harder. The longer I resist the change, the harder it is on me, until I finally relent and go back in the direction of life's flow. Then, as if a track is cli

Well, hello, everyone! It's been a long time, but I'm back, and I'm happy to say that one of my goals for 2024 is to get this blog back on track. You may have noticed that I recently (last night at 2 AM -- good things never happen at 2 AM) broke all the photo and video links on my website. So, add that to my list of goals for 2024. Oops! But in case you were too busy wondering where my 2023 year-in-review video is, I'm happy to announce that I've finally finished the hours o

Can you believe I've been living in Korea for three years?! I can't! This is my best video-in-review ever! It's full of wacky moments, grand adventures, and the best people you'll ever know! In 2022, I hiked two of the tallest mountains in South Korea -- Seoraksan and Jirisan. I went backpacking around the sea and mountains. In the summer, my little brother got married in the Caribbean, so for the first time since leaving home in 2020, I got to visit the USA and see my family

The Challenge In October, I embarked on a new adventure/challenge/crazy-person-thing called the Seoul-to-Busan bike tour. The goal was to ride a bike from Yeouido, Seoul, in the NW of South Korea, to the estuary where the Nakdonggang River meets the East Sea in Busan, in the SE of the country. The trail was roughly 572 kilometers (355 miles) from start to finish. I combated a constant, unrelenting headwind on very hilly, sometimes mountainous, roads. Please join me in a visua

Perhaps you're living around Seoul and looking for the best things to do here, or maybe you're just dreaming up your exciting post-pandemic vacation! The good news is that I've got a ton of insider information for you. For the past year, I've been working through my bucket list of things to do in Korea. (Hey, it's a hard job, but someone's gotta do it.) I've visited all the popular, highly-recommended touristy places, and in my second year here, I've been combing my way throu

There are two constants in life (in Korea): 1. There will always be another mountain to hike. 2. There will always be a temple somewhere around that mountain. Buddhism has a deep-rooted presence in Korean history, culture, food (like temple food!), architecture, symbolism, and more! Roughly 23% of Koreans are Buddhist. When you visit the temples, you are bound to hear the metronome-like taps of a drum, monks chanting, and otherwise, the natural silence of peaceful mountains a